Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-11
FURTHER DISCLOSURES OF THE IN
TERSTATE COMMERCE BILL. .

FURTHER UlSCLUbUhES UF The In
TERsTATE COMMERCE BILL.
The provision for publicity Of schedules
Of rates, in the interstate commerce bill,
will not probably be antagonized by rail-
way managers. But that clause which
provides for the composition of the Com
mission to be made of men from the
great political parties, not more than three
from one party, is so clear recognition of
possible partisan influence being exercised
upon body that should be utterly free
from all party considerations, as to make
it wholly Objectionable. Suppose a third
or a fourth party becomes prominent in the
political arena we will have the spectacle
of parties clamoring for representation
in an organization that may be danger
ously used as political agency.
The vital and most essential provision
Of the bill, however, is that which pro-
vides that the carrier "shall not receive
greater compensation in the aggregate"
for carriage of passengers and property of
like kind and under substantially similar
conditions, for shorter than longer
distance over the same line, in the same
direction, the shorter being included in
the longer distance But it is also pro-
vided that the Act" shall not be con-
strued as authorizing any common carrier
within the terms of the Act, to charge as
great compensation for a shorter as for a
longer distance" Then follows the pro-
viso lodging in the discretion of the Com
mission the power to permit departure
from these rules so that less charge may
be made for long than on shorter haul.
If there have been abuses by carriers
that call for the interposition of legal
regulations, it does not appear that there
is any sufficient reason for thus practically
transferring the transportation of products
and supplies by rail to men having no in
terest whatever in the property most
vitality affected. To deprive one of the
management of his property is to divest
him of the chief element of possession and
title, and this is what the bill proposes
to do. The Financial Chronicle, of New
York, after thoroughly examining into all
the statistical facts, believes that on east
and west lines the carriers will be driven
by the proposed law to a choice between
making either the through or the local
rates the basis for all rates. In that
event the local rate would of course pre-
vail, for it is the profitable rate and not
exposed to the competition of carriage
which the bill does not reach. The result
as affecting California may be easily fore
seen; the cost of transporting our produce
eastward, or our supplies westward, would
advance to the measure Of local rates and
the producers and jobbers would be the suf-
ferers. 1t is not reasonable to suppose
that the railroads would abandon the bet
ter compensation for the poorer for the
mere sake of competition Moreover, with
a through rate based on the competitive or
terminal charge, and with the provision
quoted discountenancing the giving of au-
thority to the carrier to charge IS great
compensation 81 for shorter as for longer
distance" and placing his necessity to earn
for his road from local rates-where both
local and through are adopted-at the
mercy Of Commission, all propulsive
of interest on the part Of the carrier will
incline him TO escape from the Act by
abandoning through business. The pro-
tagonists OF the bill have interpreted the
Encouragement" clause-that the Act
shall not be construed to justify as great a
charge for a short as for long haul-to
mean that such charge may be contested
on the ground of unreasonableness. Thus
the Act would appear 10 cut both ways, to
discourage through carriage at low rates,
but when adhered to, to lower local charges
for shorter distances not only to, but below
the competitive or through rate.
And SO We come back to the original
proposition that the whole force Of the bill
will be directed TO the abandonment of low
through rates. How this would operate
upon the fruit business of California and
grain carrying, must be clear to the most
ordinary intelligence--it will tend to kill
off one industry certainly, and drive the
other into single channel of carriage to
its positive 6etriment.
1t is one Of the mysteries Of the prob
lem that any Western producers should
consent to have their interests placed in
gu h peril. 1t is strange that they should
prefer to trust to the discretion of politi-
cal Commission exposed to the most pow
erful temptation to use it; authority sell
fishly, than to abide by the regulative laws
of commerce. The very fact that the pro-
vision giving the Commission the power to
lift the iron hand Of the Act" from the
throat of industry, is deemed necessary to
prevent the proposed law from doing i'm
measurable harm, is confession of the
weakness of the law and the dangerous
cncroachment it makes upon the liberties
Of the people
Should the Act pass, however, and re-
ccive Executive sanction, VIC are confident